The most productive players of the World Cup
There are many factors and variables by which one can judge the skill of a football player. But in order for our rating to be fair and objective, we will take the only more or less accurate criterion of skill - the number of goals scored. Below we will list the best scorers in the history of the World Cup, who were able to hit the opponents' goal the most times during their participation.
No. 10. Grzegorz Lato
Poland clearly cannot be called a country with football developed to a world level, and in recent decades it has not sent strong teams to the World Cup. But in the 70s of the last century, there was a period when the Polish team reached third place in the World Cup - largely thanks to Grzegorz Lato. In the 1974 competition, he became the top scorer, and his team won Bronze. In 1982, the Poles took third place again, and Lato himself ended up in the TOP-100 best football players of all time according to authoritative sports publications (and not only because of the World Cup, but also for his achievements at the Olympic Games).
No. 9. Gabriel Batistuta
Next on the list is Argentine Gabriel Batistuta, who has been to three World Cups during his career and scored a total of ten goals in 12 matches. Why is he in ninth place, and not the previously mentioned Tomasz Skoral, who also scored ten goals? Mainly because of his higher individual skills. Batistuta is the only player in history to have scored a hat-trick at two World Cups in a row (1994 and 1998). And although the Argentina national team did not show impressive results during all three times Gabriel visited the World Cup, his contemporaries rated his level of play as high.
№8. Gary Lineker
He is far from being the best scorer in the history of World Cup football, but only because he took part in only two championships. And at a time when the England team had to go out against very strong teams. Already in his first appearance (1986), Lineker was able to score six goals and receive the Golden Boot. The second time happened four years later, and ended for Gary quite successfully - four goals. Almost 35 years after his last appearance at the World Cup, Lineker is still the most productive Englishman at the Mundial.
№7. Jurgen Klinsmann
Even though many of us sympathize with unpredictable players who are capable of jumping above their heads in certain situations and setting some local record at the peak of their physical abilities, the fact remains - it is the stable, predictably productive players who are much more valuable on the field. This is exactly what Jurgen Klinsmann was during the first half of the 90s. The German national team member was almost guaranteed to score in all decisive matches for his team and scored a total of 11 goals against the opponent. In three tournaments with Klinsmann's participation, the Germans earned one gold and one bronze medal, and also finished the championship in fourth place once, which is also a very decent result.
No. 6. Sandor Kocsis
Sandor Kocsis played at a time when the Hungarian national team showed consistently high results and was considered one of the strongest in the world. He was a member of the so-called "Golden Team" and played at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Sixth place in the ranking of "Best scorers in the history of the World Cup" was secured for him by just one championship in 1954, where he fired as many as 11 goals against the opponents. It is quite possible that if Kocsis had had the chance to take part in at least one more tournament, he would have been able to take a much higher position. After all, other record holders played in 2-3-4 championships and scored not much more.
No. 5. Pele
One of the reasons why Pele became a legend in the world of football for many generations is his strong performance at the World Cup. He first took part in such a prestigious competition at the age of 17, and even then he managed to score 6 goals, including a hat-trick in the semi-final against France (5:2). Then there were the championships of 1962 and 1966, which were not entirely successful for Pele - he received injuries and could not take part in important matches. However, the fourth time, when the World Cup was held in Mexico, the Brazilian made a legendary comeback - he scored four goals and was recognized as the best player of the tournament.
Although Pele is only in fifth place in our rating, his achievements speak for themselves - 12 goals in the World Cup in total and, importantly, three golds for the victory of the team. Our talented contemporary Mbappe has already caught up with him in terms of the number of goals, but the “King of Football” still set a record that no other footballer has yet broken – three World Cup victories in his career.
№4. Just Fontaine
A player of the French national team, who, like the previously mentioned Kocsis, managed to play in the World Cup only once. But what a one! In the tense games of the 1958 World Cup, Just Fontaine was able to score 13 goals. This is still an absolute record, which no football player has been able to break yet. And this is not some kind of accident or getting into a match against a weak opponent, but proof of Fontaine's skills and endurance. In almost every match of the championship, he scored from 1 to 3 goals.
№3. Gerd Müller
Already the second German player (and not the last), who can safely be considered the most productive football player. He took part in only two championships, but showed himself only from the best side. First, there was a trip to Mexico in 1970, where Müller scored 10 goals and became the tournament's top scorer, receiving the Golden Boot. Then, four years later, the event was held in Germany. The support of local fans clearly helped Gerd and the entire team, which reached the final and beat the Netherlands with a score of 2:1. The author of the decisive goal, by the way, was also Müller.
No. 2. Ronaldo
Ronaldo is a true legend not only of Brazilian, but also of world football. He was recognized as the best striker by authoritative sports publications for several years in a row, and when it came to participating in the World Cup, the "Phenomenon" proved this title in practice. From 1992 to 2006, the Brazilian scored 15 goals at the World Cup alone, and also became the leader in the number of assists. During Ronaldo's time, his country's team was able to win gold twice and silver once. Moreover, there was a chance for a third gold, but at the final match with France he was not in the best shape due to health problems, and not a single goal was scored (loss with a score of 0:3).
By the way! Many do not know, but Ronaldo was able to become a prize-winner not three, but four World Cups. He received his first championship at the age of 17, being included in the application from Brazil for the 1994 World Cup, but without going out on the field for even a minute. This case is unique, because few football players can boast of such a prestigious championship title received “on credit”. Perhaps such motivation helped Ronaldo to become a superstar and the leader of the national team in the future.
No. 1. Miroslav Klose
The leader of our rating is, although not the most productive football player in the history of football, but clearly a very talented and motivated athlete, whose innate abilities were revealed at several World Cups in a row. Miroslav Klose played for the German national team from 2002 to 2014, and during this time he managed to score a record 16 goals at the World Cup. With his participation, the Germans won silver twice and bronze once. He also has many awards for his performances at the Euro and in club games - in particular, for Bayern and Lazio.
Conclusion
The statistics above clearly show that the list of the best scorers is not just numbers, but a clear confirmation of the experience, professionalism and outstanding physical abilities of athletes from different eras. All the record holders - from Just Fontaine (with his incredible 13 goals in one tournament) to Miroslav Klose, who became the record holder for the total number of goals, left a bright mark in history. Their goals brought victories, changed the course of matches and gave millions of fans unforgettable emotions. And although records can be broken sooner or later, these names have already forever inscribed themselves in the history of world football.